RDF
for
modelling
Oxford


University

 OxPoints
the
old
System


12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 2

 A
typical
OxPoints
record

<place
type="college"
xml:id="blac">



<placeName>Blackfriars</placeName>



<event
when="1221"
type="officialstatus">





<label>FoundaQon</label>



</event>



<event
when="1921"
type="officialstatus">





<label>refounded</label>
 Indirect
relaQonship



</event>
 with
parent
element



<place
subtype="primary"
type="building">





<placeName>Lodge</placeName>





<locaQon
when="2007‐05‐22T11:50:22.34+01:00">







<geo
rend="90">‐1.2603700160980225
51.756916532903084</geo>







<note>recorded
by
Janet
McKnight</note>





</locaQon>



</place>

</place>


12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 3

 The
new
OxPoints:
Requirements

•  We
want
to
get
informaQon
about

Resources

–  colleges,
units,
departments,
etc.

–  buildings,
rooms,
etc.

–  relaQons:
ownership,
usage,
ect.

–  events:
foundaQon,
etc.

–  many
other
things

•  We
want
to
be
able
to

–  Draw
maps

–  Draw
historical
maps

–  And
many
other
cool
things

12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 4

 Resource
DescripQon
Framework
(RDF)

subject
 predicate
 object


dc:Qtle

#blac
 „Blackfriars“


#lodge


12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 5

 RDF
Basics

•  Make
asserQons
about
resources

•  Resources
are
idenQfied
by
URIs

•  AsserQons
are
made
in
the
form
of
triples

•  Subject,
predicate,
object

•  Only
binary
relaQons
expressable

•  But,
n‐ary
relaQons
can
be
broken
down
into
several
binary

relaQons

•  Many
syntaxes

–  Graph
syntax,
XML,
N‐Tripel

•  Standardized
query
language:
SPARQL

12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 6

 RDF
and
dimensional
data

subject
 predicate
 object


foaf:knows

#ted
 #leyla


2000
 2007
 2014
 2021
 2028


Qme


12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 7

 RDF
and
dimensional
data

subject
 predicate
 object


rel:spouseOf

#ted
 #leyla


foaf:
know
s


#elizabeth


2000
 2007
 2014
 2021
 2028


Qme


12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 8

 RDF
and
dimensional
data

subject
 predicate
 object


foaf:knows

#ted
 #leyla


rel:sp
ouse
O f


#elizabeth


2000
 2007
 2014
 2021
 2028


Qme


12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 9

 RDF
and
dimensional
data

2007‐2014

rel:spouseOf

#ted
 #leyla


rel:spouseOf
 2014‐…


#elizabeth


2000
 2007
 2014
 2021
 2028


Qme


12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 10


 RDF:
InterpretaQon
using
models

subject
 predicate
 object


ex:hasLegs

#ants
 6


„Qny“


A
world
in
which
only
ants
exist
and
where
ants
are
Qny
things

with
6
legs
is
a
model
for
this
graph.
However,
if
ants
in
this
world

happen
to
have
8
legs,
then
the
world
is
not
saQsfying
the
graph.


12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 11


 RDF
and
dimensional
data

•  An
RDF
Graph
describes
one
truth

–  and
only
one
truth

•  No
built‐in
mechanism
for
describing

dimensional
data
(such
as
changes
over
Qme)

•  If
you
follow
the
RDF
specificaQon

–  RDF
does
not
support
any
sort
of
dimensional

data

•  But:
We
think
there
is
a
way!


12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 12


 InteresQng
Links

•  Erewhon
project
site:

–  hAp://erewhon.oucs.ox.ac.uk/

•  RDF
Primer:

–  hAp://www.w3.org/TR/rdf‐primer/

•  RDF
SpecificaQon:

–  hAp://www.w3.org/RDF/

•  Our
thoughts
on
RDF
and
Qme
+
introducQon
to
RDF:

–  hAp://oxforderewhon.wordpress.com/

•  SPARQL
specificaQon:

–  hAp://www.w3.org/TR/rdf‐sparql‐query/


12/15/2008




Arno
MiAelbach
 RDF
for
modelling
Oxford
University
 13